Aston Barclay launches industry-first used pickup insights

Aston Barclay has launched insights data on used pickups which features quarterly prices and trends for both double-cab and single-cab vehicles.

Said to be an industry-first, the new report will help support the growth in this sector, following HMRC’s decision to change the tax treatment for double-cab one-tonne pickups in February 2024 followed by an immediate reversal.

Geoff Flood, Aston Barclay’s head of LCVs, explained: “We record sale data on used pickups and based on the increased interest in the sector we have decided to share this with the industry. They currently account for between 8-12% of the used LCVs we sell across the group.

“We are seeing ex-fleet vehicles going under the hammer alongside ex-recreational vehicles across our five weekly LCV sales, so we are well placed to give a view on the market.”

Double-cab pickups continue to massively outsell single-cab models. For every 20 double cab vehicles going under the hammer, Aston Barclay sells just one single cab pick-up at auction.

When single cabs do hit the used market, prices are strong despite their aging vehicle parc. In Q1 24 on average a single cab pickup was 126 months old with 76,321 miles on the clock, but it still made a healthy £7,867.

In comparison, double cab pickup prices averaged £11,177 at 86 months and 75,079 miles, which is the lowest for five quarters, but reflects the general fall in values across the LCV sector over the past six months.

Typically, single cab pickups are run by businesses while the double cab pick-up sector is split between business and recreational use which can make replacement cycles, mileage, condition and prices less easy to predict.

“The new pickup market has been very buoyant over the past 18 months with sales growing by 38.7% year on year in 2023 to over 41,000 vehicles. In the first four months of 2024 sales rose by 9.6% year on year to 13,151 vehicles,” explained Flood.

“This new sales growth has contributed to higher used stock volumes coming into the market which explains the increased focus from both buyers and vendors,” he said.